Woodward Inn on Fillmore

Midwest Living Review

Kit Bernardi

Close to downtown Topeka, Woodward Inn on Fillmore is an upscale B&B in a restored 1920s Tudor-style mansion with an outdoor pool.

Inspiring the steady rejuvenation of a historic mansion neighborhood, Woodward Inn on Fillmore is an upscale bed-and-breakfast near the Capitol. Former Kansas congresswoman turned innkeeper Elizabeth Taylor painstakingly restored the 1920s Tudor-style mansion and seven other homes on the 1200 block of Fillmore. The inn now offers multiple lodging options for individuals, families and groups. Independent travelers generally stay at the ivy-strewn Woodward Inn, a four-room accommodation with a swimming pool set amidst lush gardens. Rates start at $150 per night (packages available) and include a hot breakfast, free Wi-Fi and cable. Posh guest rooms, some with fireplaces and claw-foot tubs, are decorated to the hilt with carved furniture, oil paintings and velvet curtained stained-glass windows. Luxe brocade linens and piles of feather-trimmed pillows dress comfortable four-poster. Additional amenities include flat-screen televisions, bedside reading lamps and speedy Internet. The only downside is that the bathroom in the Master Suite is poorly lit. Dine on a breakfast of fresh fruit, eggy-peppery quiche and croissants in the elegant, coffered ceiling dining room. Cake is the evening treat. Topeka residents often book the Woodward's Elizabethan Period-style library for weddings and catered events. Weekend rates are from $145-$245.